New Traditions
by YahLiz
Summary: When Jim Beckett shows up for Thanksgiving will he feel awkward for wearing a costume? Set post 6x10, a few minutes after the episode wraps.


**New Traditions**

**Post 6x10, picking up right where the episode left off. **

Jim Beckett finally found himself at his daughter's door after having to park two blocks away. His fingers were freezing as he shoved them under his armpits waiting to be let inside. He heard light laughter and the distinguished sound of Martha calling Kate's name as the door in front of him fell open and his daughter's beaming face greeted him.

"Hey, Katie-bug," he said with a smile, pulling her into a hug. The bag at his elbow flopped against her back and she let out a light chuckle as she hugged him in return. She pulled away and helped maneuver the bag with the corn casserole off of his coat clad arm.

"Hey, Dad, glad you could make it." Her smile was genuine, and the pigtail braids she had her hair in gave him a small burst of nostalgia; for a time when he would come home and she'd be running around their apartment, hair bouncing, as Johanna chased her down.

"I like your outfit, Katie. Almost expected to show up and be the only one in a costume." His daughter had ushered him inside as he spoke and he didn't miss the slight hesitation as she took the casserole into the kitchen. It seemed awkward at the time, but Kate had insisted on the phone only a few days ago that the Castle's dressed up as pilgrims and Indians for Thanksgiving; and who was he to not participate.

"Yours isn't too shabby either, Jim!" Jim's head turned as the matriarch of the Castle/Rodgers family descended the stairs. Jim looked down at his plain black slacks and his Puritan-esque collared shirt. Katie had told him "simple" so that's what he had done.

"Nothing like you, Martha; stunning as ever. Love the hat, matches the dress so well." She flashed him her pearly whites before kissing both his cheeks as she met him at the bottom of the stairs. Jim smiled back in return and followed behind her.

"Oh it's just something I threw together." Martha breezed as Kate gave Martha a quick once over and mouthed a quick "thank you" and followed the older woman into the kitchen. Jim squinted his eyes at Kate in a what-was-that-about glare but Kate brushed him off to assist with bringing food to the table. Jim held his puzzled look, even as Alexis and a young man made their way down from upstairs, too.

"Mr. Beckett! Hi, it's so wonderful to see you again." Alexis honored him with a brief hug and then linked her arm with the young scruffy man again. Jim smiled at the bubbling redhead and shifted his eyes to the young man on her arm. "Oh, this is Pi. Pi, this is Jim Beckett, Kate's dad."

Jim suddenly found himself enveloped in a fierce hug from Pi. "Mr. B! Wonderful to meet you! Love the digs." Pi was still holding him when Kate looked up from the kitchen island. He painted a 'please help me' face on in hopes that Kate would get his message and was rewarded when Kate called Pi into the kitchen to help her plate his cranberry-almond bites. Jim watched as Kate flitted around the kitchen with Martha, the two seeming to have found a wonderful rhythm together, as they gathered the last of the food for the table. Again he was haunted by wonderful memories of Johanna, Kate, and himself working on Thanksgiving and Christmas together. And as he watched Martha and Kate share small anecdotes and smiles he couldn't help but wish for his wife.

"Jim, glad you could make it."

Jim startled around, broken from his sober trance, at the sound of his name and was met with Rick Castle in complete pilgrim garb; a stark contrast to Katie's Native American look.

"I see that I could have gone a little more in depth with my costume." Jim laughed as he met the author in a solid handshake. He heard Kate start laughing in the kitchen and caught the quick look of mild exasperation that glanced across Rick's face.

"Did I miss something?" Jim asked, to not only Rick but everyone in the house. All of the women seemed to be withholding laughter as Rick pursed his lips in annoyance. Pi seemed to be out of the loop, but had a small Indian band across his forehead as if he had forgotten a costume. Martha took that moment to fix the mini blue pilgrim's hat that she had pinned into her hair as if to bring attention to it, while Alexis played with the feathers that she had clipped into a braid that looked like it had been made in haste. Kate still only had eyes for Rick who seemed peeved that he was wearing a Puritan getup. Maybe he had wanted to be an Indian as well?

"No, Dad, you didn't miss anything. I'm just getting used to Castle traditions before we get married." There was a twist in Jim's gut that he didn't expect as his daughter talked so freely about her and Rick's wedding. It caught him off guard, sometimes, how different she had become since finally getting together with Rick. She was no longer the plagued girl who had pulled him from the clutches of alcoholism; who had lost herself after her mother's death; who had hidden away to lick her wounds after her shooting; and it was exhilarating to see her living her life again. But it still hit him, at times, to see her so unabashedly happy.

"And dressing up in costume is a tradition for _Thanksgiving_?" He tried to not lace his voice in sarcasm but he couldn't ignore the roll of Castle's eyes and the mirthful glee that seemed to radiate from his daughter. He also didn't miss the grumbled "It is now" from his soon to be son-in-law.

Kate let out a chuckle as she made her way into the living room to console her ego-bruised writer as the rest of the family placed the last dishes on the table. "Aww, it's okay Castle. Just remember you started it with the onesie you bought for Cosmo."

"Onsie?" Jim Beckett was completely lost now. "Wait, are you pregnant, Katie?" Martha and Alexis were both biting their tongues trying not to laugh while Pi leaned on his seat looking just as confused as Jim. Rick drug his hand across his face and stopped his palm around his mouth in what looked like contemplation. Kate walked away from Rick and made her way to Jim's side; turning them toward the dinner table.

"No, Dad, we're not pregnant. And we're not even talking—well we _have_ talked about them—but we're not ready for kids yet. Wedding first, then children. . . much later. Right, Castle?" She threw out the last question seeming to break Rick of his reverie and he hopped to meet them at the table.

"Yeah, no babies from us yet Jim—Mr. Beckett—no, Jim." Jim let a smile linger at Rick's flustered persona as everyone took a seat at the table and the food began to make its way to plates. If this was what a "being a Castle" was, surrounded by a warm family and being able to share a holiday of thanks with his wonderful daughter, then he would wear any costume he needed to.

Besides, it was tradition.

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**Hoped you liked it!**

**It kinda just hit me after the episode was over that Kate really did believe him, so she probably told her Dad to dress up too. Knowing Martha and Alexis wouldn't want him to feel awkward around them, I'm sure they would have done something to make him feel comfortable. Would love to know your thoughts.**


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